“Thank you,” I replied, stepping toward Olivia who held out a robe and pointed to a screen in the corner of the room.
Taking the robe, I smiled. “I might as well make the most of it,” I mumbled to myself.
Two hours later, relaxed and drowsy, I stood outside the walk-in closet in my room, mouth agape. While my mother had made sure that Harsh received more than enough money to take care of me, never in my wildest dreams would I have anticipated shopping for the array of clothing in front of me.
Dresses, suits, blouses, and skirts spanned one wall while shelves with bags and shoes lined up the opposite side. On the third wall, the one facing me directly sat rows of jeans, t-shirts, yoga pants, and tank tops around an alcove. Walking from one end to the other, I ran my fingers lightly over everything, enjoying the textures of expensive wool to gossamer silk, and stopped at a glass case sitting in the center of the room. Several drawers revealed trays of sunglasses, watches, belts, a multitude of jewelry, I’d probably never wear in this lifetime, and an assortment of lingerie that spread warmth from my cheeks down toward parts of my body that I chose to ignore.
Lastly, a dresser carved into the alcove hosted bottles of perfumes ranging in sizes. After opening the fourth bottle, I gave up sniffing as my nose twitched until I sneezed a couple of times. Next to the perfumes and a set of neat shelves displayed my brand of face and body moisturizer with both night and day options and a range of make-up I wouldn’t know how to blend even if I tried. A line of nail polish and lip gloss in varying colors, had me smiling.
“Wow,” I whispered, totally enamored. My shopping bill would’ve probably cost me a little over five hundred dollars. Whoever shopped for all of this, had some serious skill when it came to maxing out a credit card. Even as the thought that Salvatore may have been the one to choose all the items, I swallowed the notion. After last night and his hard words, I didn’t think he had it in him to entertain the likes of my wardrobe.
After a luxurious bath, a knock on the door had me opening to Rosana and a guy whose flawless make-up wasn’t even close to anything I’d achieve. “This is Raul,signora. He’s here to do your hair and make-up.”
“Hey, sweetie,” Raul stepped closer and kissed both my cheeks before I could respond. “You have such beautiful hair and a gorgeous bone structure.” He circled me as if he were studying his next makeover candidate while I arched a brow at Rosana. She smiled, waved, and walked out. “Come, we have lots to do if I’m going to make Mr. Salvatore drool at the sight of you.”
Oh, I loved this man already. Laughing, I followed Raul to the dresser where he sat me down and began working his fingers into my hair.
An hour later, I stared at my reflection in the mirror, my eyes wide with shock. I didn’t recognize the woman staring back at me. “Oh, my God, is that me?” Delicate embroidery adorned the elegant bodice and sleeves of the dress while soft layers of white lace tapered at the waist and fell in a graceful ball gown to swirl around the ivory Jimmy Choo sandals I wore. Whoever chose the dress, I was surprised they knew both my dress and shoes sizes. Then again, Salvatore struck me as a man who knew everything about his friend and foe alike. And for the moment, I had no idea which category I fell into.
Laughing, Raul stepped behind me, catching my gaze in the mirror. “All you, sweetie.” He grasped my arms lightly. “Trust me, I’ve been called a genius but with your beauty, very little effort on my part was required and even less make-up. You’re freaking gorgeous.” He gave my arms a gentle squeeze.
“Thank you, Raul, I guess I need the confidence boost.”
“And whoever chose this dress.” He chef-kissed it before continuing, “it’s a handmade Vera Wang.”
“Say what.” My lips widened in a confused smile.
Raul’s face flashed morbid shock. “Only one of the most sought-after designers in the world, girl.”
“Okay.” I sighed, realizing there was so much I could’ve learned with my mother around.
I didn’t realize, my smile had morphed into a somber grimace until Raul said, “hey.” He slipped between me and the mirror. “It’s your wedding day, you can’t be sad now.”
Forcing a smile to my lips, I nodded. “You’re right. I just wished my mom was here.”
“Oh, sweetie.” He leaned in and embraced me in a gentle hug. “I don’t want to ruin your dress, so I can’t squeeze you any tighter.” He kissed my brow.
Laughing, I forced back the sniffle and dabbed my nose with the tissue he placed in my hand. “I can do this,” I whispered, more to myself than Raul.
He still heard me, though. “Yes, you can.” The door opening had him stepping away as my father entered the room. “My work is done here, save a picture for me, okay.” Raul dropped another light kiss to my brow, picked up his things, and left the room.
“You look beautiful, Gianna.” Straightening the lapels of his black tux, my father walked further into the room.
“You don’t need to act like the doting parent, you know,” I retorted.
He didn’t bother hiding his impatience and held out a hand. “Let’s go.”
“Isn’t there anyone who’d like to give me away as a real parent would?” I scowled. “Maybe I should ask Julian.”
“Stop behaving like an insolent little child, Gianna. Mr. Salvatore is waiting, so let’s go.” He walked out and waited at the entrance, annoyance bouncing off his shoulders.
Glancing one more time at the mirror, I picked up the bouquet of white lilies, followed him out and down the passage. I wasn’t surprised when we reached a part of the castle that led to a mini church. This place had everything to prepare for a rainy day, so why not a place of worship. Dressed in a pretty champagne-colored dress, Rosana was waiting outside as we arrived. She proceeded us a second later. I paused on the threshold taking in the scene, despite my father’s tightening grip on my arm. God, this was really happening. My insides churned and I wasn’t sure if the sudden burn in my chest stemmed from reflux or fear.
With his back to the entrance, Salvatore stood on a small platform in front of a priest. Hands clasped in front of him, face in a deep scowl, Leo stood next to him. Julian sat in one of the two pews, his lips wide in a smile, his eyes on me. Several other men, I didn’t know, occupied the other rows.
As we walked down the aisle, I steadied my uneven breathing while trying to still my racing heart. The irony of my situation wasn’t lost on me. When I married Zayne, I didn’t mind the quick ceremony at a courthouse. The idea of a white wedding with all the thrills and frills had held no impact on my desire to be with the one man I loved with all my heart. The one man who I never thought would betray me.
Yet, as I stood there debating the farce I was entering, I found myself wondering why, if this man was so gratuitous with his arrogance, hadn’t he made a big deal of his wedding. Where was the extravagance the dress that I wore demanded? Why weren’t there hordes of people in attendance if he was the most feared man in his trade—whatever that was. Surely his level of authority required some respect.
